The Student Teachers – Invitation to…The Student Teachers: 1978-1980 The Complete Syllabus

Alright music students, please sit down, be quiet and prepare yourself for a history lesson from The Student Teachers.

New York City was ground zero for American punk music in the late 1970s. Venues like the renowned CBGB’s became synonymous with the emerging punk scene. Many of the most important figures in early punk history cut their teeth playing in these clubs. But some of them slipped through the cracks…

The Student Teachers formed as the various members began to see each other at various CBGB’s shows in NYC. They attended Patti Smith poetry readings together. They bonded over their shared love of music and began to play together, quickly ascending the ranks to play at the hallowed venues that they so recently sat in as audience members. Their rapid rise was promising, especially considering that they were all teenagers. Featuring one of the first female rhythm sections in the punk scene, these young punks released a scattering of tracks in their short career, but never signed to a label. Now much like Minor Threat, The Student Teachers have collected their discography on one release, which contains a brief 9 songs. The band’s run went from Easter of 1977 to Halloween of 1980. During that time they became regulars at CBGB’s and Max’s, while opening for The Ramones, Blondie, The Cramps, The Dead Boys and many more. Now those interested in the history of the punk scene have easy access to the recording output of one of the late 70s youngest popular bands, The Student Teachers. Much like the recent reemergence of proto-punk group Death, The Student Teachers are finally being officially introduced to a new generation.

The first thing that listeners will notice when first listening to The Student Teachers is that their version of punk music leans more toward the New Wave sounds that groups like Blondie performed than the  angry mess that bands like the Sex Pistols popularized. The keyboard plays a key role in their music, with catchy melodies being the focus instead of chaotic noise. The Clash are an obvious comparison, especially on a song like the superb Looks. The smooth vocals bring to mind The Jam as well, but their sound is a little smoother than both of these groups.  They pull influences from the pop side of the spectrum rather than early rock and roll and would have been naturals for a successful transition in the 80s. There is also an element of art punk in their sound. Lyrics balance intelligence and pop sensibility, shining on songs like Past Tense, a mournful post breakup lament. On Samantha, the lyrics seem inspired by The Ramones, with a repeated refrain Samantha, Samantha’s calling me… Samantha. Simple, repetitive and effective. These songs stand out from the CBGB crowd, which was known for its’ fiercely independent and original focus in the late 70s. This is original music played by intelligent and passionate teenagers. The production is great for the time and keeps enough of a raw edge to distinguish them from the 80s bands who would run with this sound.

The Student Teachers had a brief existence in the exploding punk scene of late 1970s New York City. They only recorded a handful of songs, but the fact that they held their own as teenagers in one of the most important musical scenes (from an ethnomusicologist perspective) cannot be underrated. The recorded history is criminally small, but definitely a worthy gem that has been hidden away for far too long.